Re: Import data from XML file

Erwin Brandstetter wrote:
> Hi!
>
> How do you import data from an xml-file?
> For instance, if I have a file like this:
>
> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
> <p_update>
> <main_categories>
> <main_category>
> <main_category_name>Sonstiges</main_category_name>
> <main_category_id>5</main_category_id>
> </main_category>
> <main_category>
> <main_category_name>Buehne</main_category_name>
> <main_category_id>2</main_category_id>
> </main_category>
> <main_category>
> <main_category_name>Konzerte</main_category_name>
> <main_category_id>1</main_category_id>
> </main_category>
> </main_categories>
> <categories>
> <category>
> <category_name>Reggae</category_name>
> <main_category_id>1</main_category_id>
> <category_id>45</category_id>
> </category>
> <category>
> <category_name>sonstige</category_name>
> <main_category_id>5</main_category_id>
> <category_id>44</category_id>
> </category>
> </categories>
> </p_update>
>
>
> ... and I want a CSV file like this:
>
> main_category_name main_category_id
> Sonstiges 5
> Buehne 2
>
> category_name main_category_id category_id
> Reggae 1 45
> sonstige 5 44
>
>
> Or is there a way to import directly into tables in a postgres
> database?
>

isn't it amazing how redundantly wordy XML is, yet it doesn't provide
sufficient information to perform this simple task without more knowlege
(for instance, there's no data types, but we sure know the name of the
fields as they are spelled out twice for each row!)